Packers cornerback Tramon Williams' second-quarter interception was the turning point against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009. Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette

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The big picture

If Sunday’s season-opener taught us anything, it’s that what happens in the preseason stays in the preseason. The Packers were far from the dominant team they were when the games didn’t matter. The simple lesson on display at Lambeau Field on Sunday night was that nothing is easy in the regular season.

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The Packers dodged a big-time bullet in the opener, escaping with a 21-15 victory over the Bears. They weren’t sharp on offense and though they made some big plays on defense, they made a few too many mistakes.

Regular-season games are different – much different. Regular-season division games are an entirely different level all together. They will no doubt need to play better if they’re to live up to the lofty expectations they created in the preseason.

Thumbs up

Packers General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy kept Brett Swain over Ruvell Martin in the final cuts for one reason, and it wasn’t because of Swain’s receiving skills. They felt Swain was the better player on special teams. He showed it in his first game.

When Bears coach Lovie Smith inexplicably called a fake punt on fourth-and-11 from his 26-yard line in the fourth quarter while clinging to a 12-10 lead, Swain was all over it. The Bears snapped the ball directly to the up back, running back Garrett Wolfe. Swain shot through the gap, and stuffed Wolfe for just a 4-yard gain. The Packers took over at the 30 and turned that into a field goal and a 13-12 lead.

Swain, who spent all of last season on the practice squad, didn’t play a single snap on offense, but he essentially gave the Packers three free points.

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Thumbs down

Somewhere, Mark Tauscher might be getting excited. The Packers’ starting right tackle from 2000 until he blew out his knee late last season might have extra motivation to complete his rehab after watching his replacement, Allen Barbre, get thrown around like a rag doll.

Barbre, who won the starting job halfway through training camp, had a disastrous beginning. Granted, he was going against a premier pass rusher in defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, but Barbre couldn’t handle him. He gave up a pair of sacks in the first quarter alone and also was responsible for two first-half pressures. On both sacks, Ogunleye beat Barbre to the outside. Both were for 7-yard losses that ultimately killed drives. In the second quarter, Ogunleye knocked over Barbre to pressure Rodgers on a three-man rush. He got to Rodgers later on that same drive. On the second pressure, the Packers used a running back to help Barbre, but Ogunleye still got free, forcing Rodgers to throw early and incomplete.

Barbre, the third-year pro, beat out second-year pro Breno Giacomini for the starting job in training camp, but the Packers might have to revisit that decision.

Tauscher, who is out of the NFL, is believed to be continuing his rehabilitation on his own and could be ready to return to football in the next month. Shortly before training camp opened, General Manager Ted Thompson refused to close the door on Tauscher’s possible return. It might be time to consider that.

Play of the game

Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings. 50-yard touchdown. One minute and 11 seconds remaining. It was the play that will define Week 1 for the Packers. Trailing 15-13, Rodgers took over at his 28-yard line with 2:28 remaining. Four plays later, he faced a third-and-1 at midfield. After a timeout, Rodgers found Jennings, who ran by cornerback Nathan Vasher for an easy touchdown.

Turning point

The Bears had a chance to take control of the game in the second quarter. Danieal Manning’s sack of Aaron Rodgers in the end zone for a safety cut the Packers’ lead to 3-2 and after the ensuing free kick, the Bears had the ball in good field position at their own 46-yard line.

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But on third-and-8, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler made a horrific decision to throw deep down the middle, and cornerback Tramon Williams picked it off and returned it 67 yards to the Bears’ 1-yard line, setting up Ryan Grant’s touchdown that gave the Packers a 10-2 lead.

The Bears could have taken all the momentum but instead gave it right back to the Packers.

Did you notice?

♦ The Bears not only lost a challenge when Smith threw the red flag after Williams’ interception, but they lost yardage to boot. Williams was originally ruled out of the bounds at the Bears’ 3-yard line. But as Williams went out, he lost the ball and it appeared to go out of the bounds in the end zone, which would be a touchback for the Bears. After viewing the replay, referee Ron Winter not only ruled that Williams had stepped out of bounds before the ball came loose but also that he stepped out at the 1-yard line and not the 3.

♦ Linebacker Nick Barnett started and played in the nickel, but the Packers did rest him on a couple of series. Barnett was playing in a regular-season for the first time since he blew out his knee last November. That meant A.J. Hawk got a couple of series in the nickel defense. Chillar got the base snaps when Barnett was out.

♦ The Packers had five dropped passes – two each by Driver and Jordy Nelson and one by DeShawn Wynn.

By the numbers

2: Challenges lost by the Bears, who also lost a challenge that the Packers had 12 men on the field during their fake punt. Linebacker Clay Matthews ran off just before the snap.

4: Interceptions in his Bears debut by quarterback Jay Cutler.

13: Number of defensive players introduced during the starting lineups. In continuing coach Mike McCarthy’s mantra that the Packers have more than 11 starters on defense, he added Chillar and Williams (both of whom play in the nickel package) to the introductions.